Fire-alarm box.



P. W. COLE.

FIRE ALARM BOX. APPLIGATION'I'ILED APR.25, 1908.

1,008,945, Patented Nov. 14,1911.

ll/z'Zizessest 0+ .fnueiziorjf";

' I MZ' 7L0d% W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. iREDERICK W. COLE, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A SSIGNOR TO G-AM'EWELL FIRE- ALARM TELEGRAPI'I COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW I YORK.

FIRE-ALARM BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 14, 1911, 7 Application filed April 1908. Serial No. 429,154, I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, FREDERIGKWV. 'COLE,

of Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an I1nprove= ment in Fire-Alarm Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

alarms have been sent, and means for restormg sa1d indicator when sald mechanism is rewound or restored to its normal cond tion,

said indicator being displayed in such mannor that a member of the 'fire patrol or other person going to the box or passing it will readily observe it, and to arrange the visual indicator adjacent the actuating-spring of the signal-transmitting mechanism, whereby it may be operated directly by said spring when the latter expands due to an alarm being sent or to the breaking of the spring, and to provide for restoring the indicator to .normal when the signal-transmitting mechanism is rewound, or a new spring is supplied.

Figure 1 1s a front elevation of a sufficient portion of a fire alarm boxto illustrate my invention, and a visual-indicatorembodying my invention, the parts being in their normal positions. Fig. 2 is a modification to be referred to.

9 Referring to Fig; 1, a well-known form of signal-transmitting mechanism is shown wherein a represents the signal-wheel and b the actuating-spring. The actuating-spring b is normally wound, and when the box is let off, it operates the signal-transmitting train, and While so doing unwinds or expands. This spring is usually wound for quite a number of rounds of the signal, say thirty-six, so that when fully wound a number of alarms may be transmitted, each consisting of say three or four rounds, but it is verydesirable to rewind it after one alarm has been transmitted so that it will be kept fully wound. Sometimes the spring breaks and it is very important that notification of such disorder shall be given as soon as possible. Herein I have provided the box with a visual-indicator, which is adapted to visuallv-indicate the fact that an alarm has been sent or the spring has broken. In the case of the box, at some convenient part thereof, a sight-opening o-is provided, of any suitable shape-and dimensions, and an indicating-plate c is provided, which is movable into and out of position back of said sight-opening. 7 l

Referring to Fig- 1 the indicating-plate c is attached to an arm 0 pivoted at 0 and at the lower end of said arm three fingers 0 0 0 are provided. The finger 0 extends over the locking-lever 0 of the train and will be engaged by said lever and moved to operate the indicator when said lever is raised, as it will be by means of the actuator 0 when operated to send an alarm.

The finger a extendsinto proximity to the actuating-spring b, so as to be engaged by lever thereof being employed as the actuating means and it is also operated by the'ac- 'said actuating spring when the latter expands to thereby indicate the breaking-of tuatingspring, two actuating means for the indicator being therefore employed.

Referring to Fig. 2, the indicating-plate 0 is attached to. an arm 0 which is pivoted at c and said arm has a projection 0 prefe'rably of insulating material, which is arranged adjacent the'actuating-spring b, so as to be moved by said spring when the latter expands, but said arm is arranged more or less remote from the actuating-spring so that it will not be engaged by it unless the spring breaks, or fully unwinds, .An arm is attachedjto the pivot-shaft e which extends into engagement with a cam-disk 0 secured to the stop-wheel 0 of the train and when the transmittingfmechanism is operated said cam-disk is revolved and by turning, lifts the-arm 0 and -thereby sets the indicator. In this instance it will be observed that the means fonoperating the indicator' for the purpose of setting it to indicate that the transmitting-mechanism needs rewinding is operated through the its signal transmittingmechanism, the train being employed instead "of the actuatingspring, directly, and that the actuating spring isonly directly employed to operate the'indicator to indicate the breaking of in the case and movable into and out of positionback of said sight-opening, a support for said plate having a spring-engaging portion adapted to be engaged by the actuating spring of the transmitting-mechanism, and

mitting-mechanism, substantially as described.

signal-transmitting'mechanism, a visual indicator at the box, means operated by the dicator, and means operated by the expansion of the actuating-spring of said transmitting-mechanism foralso moving said inj dicator," substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses B. J. Norns,

also having'a portion engaging the, trans- H. B. DAvIs.

2. In a fire-alarm box, the combination of I FREDERICK W. COLE? transmitting-mechanism for moving said inname to this specification, in the presence 30' 

